As you all know, gold is very yellow color.
So how does the jewelry industry makes white gold wedding bands?
There is no white colored gold in natural. Gold is a naturally yellow colored metal. To make white colored gold, the jewelry industry mixes the yellow colored gold with white colored metals, such as nickel and zinc.
If we mix yellow colored gold with white colored metals, the mixed metal color is yellowish white. So, to make a bright white gold wedding band, it is common practice to put a thin layer of white metal on the surface. This process is called rhodium plating.
A: 14K yellow gold ring
B: 14K white gold ring before rhodium plating
C: 14K white gold ring after rhodium plating.
What about yellow gold wedding bands?
Some Asian counties prefer to wear prominent yellow gold wedding bands without mixing any other metal. However, because gold is very soft and the color is very yellow, the US and most European countries mix gold with copper and silver to make the lighter yellow color.
So which one is better? Yellow gold wedding bands vs white gold wedding bands? If you compare the same 14K yellow gold wedding bands vs 14K white gold wedding bands, the percentage of gold contents are all same. It all depend on personal preference, market trends, geographical location, and cultural backgrounds to prefer one metal over the other.